Press Releases
Udall, Portman, Burr and Whitehouse Introduce Bill to Promote Conservation and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), announced that they have introduced the Tropical Forest Reauthorization Act of 2015 (TFCA). This legislation reauthorizes a program that has saved over 67 million acres of tropical forest by allowing developing countries that meet certain criteria to be relieved of debt owed to the United States in exchange for their conservation efforts. Additionally, this legislat… Continue Reading
February 26, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Champion Plan to Permanently Fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Program
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that they have joined a bipartisan group of senators to introduce legislation that will ensure rural New Mexico communities continue to get the services they need by restoring mandatory funding to the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. Last year, all but one of New Mexico's counties received funding through the PILT program - a total of $37 million. The bill would also roll back cuts to Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and ex… Continue Reading
February 26, 2015
Udall Statement on FCC's Adoption of New Net Neutrality Rules
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall welcomed a vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve updated open Internet rules. The new rules prevent broadband providers from blocking or throttling lawful online content and ban agreements between broadband providers and online companies that create Internet "toll lanes." Udall has been outspoken in his support for a free and open Internet for all Americans. In November, he visited Albuquerque's Levitated Toy Factory and met wit… Continue Reading
February 25, 2015
Udall Leads Push to Ensure Homeland Security Employees Are Paid Despite Potential GOP Shutdown
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced that he has joined several of his Democratic colleagues in introducing legislation that would ensure Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees are paid if congressional Republicans refuse to fund DHS by the end of this week. Out of anger at President Obama's immigration policies, Republicans have proposed legislation with harsh anti-immigrant penalties and threatened to block DHS funding - including programs that are critical for New Mex… Continue Reading
February 24, 2015
Udall Statement on President’s Veto of Keystone Pipeline Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement after President Obama vetoed a bill mandating approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline: "I support the president's veto of the Keystone XL Pipeline bill and will vote to uphold it. It is unprecedented for Congress to mandate a pipeline for a private, foreign corporation. This is a decision that must be made considering critical environmental and foreign policy impacts, not party politics. I believe enough information should be availa… Continue Reading
February 20, 2015
Child Well-Being
SANTA FE, N.M. - Today, in his address to a Joint Session of the New Mexico Legislature, U.S. Senator Tom Udall called on state lawmakers to work together and focus on improving the well-being of New Mexico's children. More than one-third of children in New Mexico live below the poverty line. "Our state is dead last in overall child well-being," Udall said. "And next to last in education, in children's health and economic well-being. This troubles all of us. It has to change. The future of our s… Continue Reading
February 20, 2015
Udall Calls on N.M. Legislature to Prioritize Child Well-Being
SANTA FE, N.M. - Today, in his address to a Joint Session of the New Mexico Legislature, U.S. Senator Tom Udall called on state lawmakers to work together and focus on improving the well-being of New Mexico's children. More than one-third of children in New Mexico live below the poverty line. "Our state is dead last in overall child well-being," Udall said. "And next to last in education, in children's health and economic well-being. This troubles all of us. It has to change. The future of our s… Continue Reading
February 13, 2015
Udall, Luján, Lujan Grisham Lead Bipartisan Coalition to Protect States' Mineral Royalties
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Tom Udall and U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham introduced bipartisan legislation this week that would allow states to collect their own mineral royalties, protecting money that is rightfully owed to the states. The bill would effectively eliminate a collection fee charged by the federal government, which amounts to around $40 million per year. The Mineral Leasing Act provides that the continental states be paid 50 percent of the revenues resulting… Continue Reading
February 12, 2015
Udall Statement on Confirmation of Ashton Carter to Serve as Secretary of Defense
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement after joining the Senate in voting 93-5 to confirm Ashton Carter to serve as Secretary of Defense: "Ashton Carter has demonstrated over his many years at the Pentagon that he has the commitment and knowledge needed to lead the Department of Defense, and I was honored to vote to confirm him. With his service under multiple secretaries of defense, and his experience managing large budgets and handling many demands under sc… Continue Reading
February 12, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Welcome More Than $2.2 Million in Funding for New Mexico Drought Response
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich heralded the Bureau of Reclamation's more than $2.2 million investment in drought relief projects in New Mexico, which was made possible by funding Udall secured in last December's "omnibus" funding bill. The funds recently released for Western drought response include $700,000 for construction of the Eastern New Mexico Water Supply Project, $1 million for voluntary water leasing in the Middle Rio Grande and $500,000 for voluntary wate… Continue Reading
February 12, 2015
Udall Announces Major Legislation to Improve Health and Well-being of New Mexico Children
Next week, in speech to state Legislature, Udall will urge lawmakers to set a goal to lift New Mexico from the bottom of child well-being rankings WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced that he has introduced major legislation aimed at helping improve the health and education of New Mexico children by increasing access to federal education and anti-poverty programs. The Saving Our Next Generation (SONG) Act is based on outreach and research Udall conducted over the last year, incl… Continue Reading
February 11, 2015
Udall: Watchdog Report Shows Need to Redouble Commitment to Federal IT Reform
WASHINGTON - Following the Government Accountability Office's move today to add IT acquisition to its biennial list of troubled "high-risk" programs, U.S. Senator Tom Udall urged the administration to swiftly implement recently passed legislation to modernize federal IT systems. Udall also called for stronger congressional oversight of federal IT programs and vowed to use his position on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. "With an $80 billion ye… Continue Reading
February 05, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Lead Bipartisan Coalition to Expand Relief for Americans Sickened by Radiation Exposure
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led a bipartisan group of senators this week in renewing their efforts to expand restitution for victims of radiation exposure related to U.S. nuclear arms testing in the 1950s and 1960s. As a part of that effort, the senators introduced the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), which seeks to expand RECA eligibility to affected individuals in New Mexico, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Utah. Senators… Continue Reading
February 05, 2015
N.M. Delegation, UNM Announce that Proposal to Create National Institute of Photonics will Advance to Final Round
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham along with the University of New Mexico, announced that the Department of Defense has selected a team that includes UNM as a finalist for the administration's new Integrated Photonics Institute for Manufacturing Innovation (IP-IMI) program. The initiative is part of a national effort launched in 2013 to create a network of regional manufacturing institutes or … Continue Reading
February 05, 2015
Udall Introduced Bipartisan Bill to Improve VA Staffing, Create Jobs for Veterans
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced he joined U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) in introducing a bill to streamline the hiring process for medically trained service men and women to transition immediately from active duty service to caring for veterans at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals. The Frontlines to Lifelines Act expands the Intermediate Care Technician (ICT) pilot program, which facilitates the immediate employment of Department of De… Continue Reading
February 04, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Laud President's $85M Budget Proposal To Construct A New Replacement Port Of Entry In Columbus, N.M.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) strongly support President Obama's 2016 budget request to invest $85,645,000 to construct a new replacement Port of Entry in Columbus, N.M. The construction project includes a new main building, commercial and noncommercial inspection facilities, pedestrian crossing, and export facilities. The request now must be approved by Congress. Udall, a member of the Appropriations Committee, and Heinrich will fight to ensure fundi… Continue Reading
February 04, 2015
Udall Leads Push to Expand Access to Early Childhood Education
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced that he has joined several senators in introducing legislation to expand access to high-quality early learning programs for children from birth to age five. The Providing Resources Early for Kids (PRE-K) Act helps more kids arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed by establishing a federal-state partnership that incentivizes states to improve the quality of their preschool programs and expand to serve more children in need. "Investing in our ch… Continue Reading
February 03, 2015
Udall Acknowledges 2 New Mexico DREAMers in Senate Floor Speech, Calls for Prompt Homeland Security Funding
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall shared the stories of two hardworking DREAMers from Santa Fe and Belen, N.M. in a speech from the Senate floor. His remarks came just after voting against beginning debate on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which he said unfairly targets young undocumented immigrants. Congress must pass a DHS funding bill before Feb. 27 or DHS will shut down. Out of anger at President Obama's immigration policies, Republicans have proposed legi… Continue Reading
February 02, 2015
Udall Statement on President Obama’s Proposed 2016 Budget
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement about President Obama's FY2016 budget proposal. The president's proposal will be reviewed by Congress, which writes and sets the actual spending levels through its annual appropriations process. "New Mexicans were hit hard by the Great Recession, and I am doing everything I can as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure our state has the resources to recov… Continue Reading
January 29, 2015
Udall Joins Defense Appropriations Subcommittee
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced that he will join the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The subcommittee holds jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community, and is responsible for producing one of 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the federal government's programs and responsibilities. Udall will also continue to serve on four other subcommittees that allocate key funding for programs important to New Mexico: the… Continue Reading
